Stove for two hungry campers

[ianjoe59]

Basically I'm deciding between a alcohol stove or a whisperlite internationale.
We (Wife and I) are planning on cooking in a 2 liter pot for both us us. We really like to cook, and I have my doubts on an alcohol stove being up for the task.
-Heavier weight for convenience?
-or saving weight?

Anybody cook meals for two on a alcohol stove?

We aren't exactly ultra lighters but , hey , who doesn't want to save some weight?

Just looking for experienced opinions to sway we one way or the other.

[Johnny Swank]

My wife and I use an alcohol stove all the time with a 2-liter pot. Takes marginally longer, but it's no big deal. I haven't used my whisperlight in at least 10 years.

[ianjoe59]

How much fuel do you use?
My stove went out and I had to to refuel when making a double batch of mac and cheese.

[Bob S]

What type of camping are you going to do and what type of meals are you going to make? Also how fast do you want your food cooked, what is your weight concerns?
Both require a bit of hands on involvement, but in different ways. The Wisperlite has to be primed, and you should have a field kit with you for the time when it clogs. Alcohol stoves are easy to light up, but most have a 15-min maximum burn time before you have to refill it. Alcohol cooks slower, but weights a lot less.

The Wisperlite generates some soot, the alcohol generates no soot. Alcohol flames are difficult to see in the day time. So it’s easy to get burnt if you don’t pay attention.

Wisperlite’s are noisy despite what name they give the stove. Alcohol are absolutely silent.


Alcohol stoves are generally thought of as a solo camper stove, but I have several and my son and I use them without too much problem.


The Wisperlite I had was problematic to say the least. (In fact it convinced me to never give MSR another dime for the rest of my life) but many people love them. They flare up when lighting while the generator warms up, but this only last 15-seconds or so. They put out a lot of heat and deal with wind much better then an alcohol stove.

Alcohol stoves need a wind screen in all but the mildest of days. If the wind is blowing, it can take a very long time to cook without wind protection. But they are simple, 100% reliable and can not get clogged up like a Whisperlite.

[take-a-knee]

I'd get a Simmerlite, better yet, a Windpro cannister stove.

[Mrs Baggins]

We have a Whisperlite - aka "The Blowtorch." Worked fine for the 2 of us. Then I bought a Pocket Rocket and took it out on my hike this past week. I used a .9 liter pot, filled it to almost to the rim so I could have plenty of water for coffee or tea and my food, and it boiled in just a very few minutes. Super easy to shut off and relight. Now could you balance a 2 liter pot on it........I don't know. But we use a 1.5 liter pot when we're out together so we'll give the Pocket Rocket a try next time we're both out. There were several people I met that started with alcohol and ditched it at the first opportunity for a Pocket Rocket. I was hiking with a person who was using alcohol but may well switch to the Pocket Rocket. Getting the alcohol amount just right so that there was enough fuel to cook but not so much that it had to just sit and burn off for a long time seemed to be a real problem for all of the alcohol users that I encountered. So the alcohol people can screech "lighter! It's lighter!" but they have their problems.........

[Blissful]

We used a MSR pocket rocket for two all last year. Had a snowpeak titanium set. No problem, except we used a lot more fuel in wind.

I dislike alcohol myself.

[Passionphish]

I have done several overnighters and week-longs on an alchohol stove for two. It was a caldera cone but still alcohol.... We loved it. Never had an issue. But then we dehydrate our food in size and style so we don't need more than about 16oz of water per meal (for 2). Plus, packing the meals for two makes things easier...

[ianjoe59]

yes the caldera cone caught my eye too.
it comes down to the fact that i don't have lots of experience and I have no clue what a pound difference makes if. the idea of having a gas stove sounds like bringing a hemi to a race. but if straight 4 will do....
i plan on continuing experimenting with the alcohol stove since it doesn't cost anything, and trying it out on short hikes.
I'm 6'1 250+ lbs of hunger so if an alky stove can fit the bill 'm in.

[ianjoe59]

plus, thanks for all the replies. i'm a new member here. my wife and i are planning for an AT thru-hike early next year.

[Tinker]

Basically I'm deciding between a alcohol stove or a whisperlite internationale.
We (Wife and I) are planning on cooking in a 2 liter pot for both us us. We really like to cook, and I have my doubts on an alcohol stove being up for the task.
-Heavier weight for convenience?
-or saving weight?

Anybody cook meals for two on a alcohol stove?

We aren't exactly ultra lighters but , hey , who doesn't want to save some weight?

Just looking for experienced opinions to sway we one way or the other.

Alcohol is fine for rehydrating or moderate cooking (Lipton-Knorr dinners, other dried soups, etc). If you're going to fry burgers or sausages (rarely), or make pancakes or breads (for me, never), you might have trouble regulating the heat output (you'll have to hold the pan high enough over the stove not to burn the food). Elaborate cooking for two with an alcohol stove would probably use so much fuel that a cannister stove might be more weight efficient. I use Esbit when I'm hiking alone and only need to boil water, but I switch to a cannister stove (Vargo Jet-ti) when I'm hiking with another person and sometimes when I expect the temperature to drop into the 20s. Alcohol will work then, if you choose to use it - it's just a little harder to get started than it is in warmer weather.

[chili36]

I use an alcohol stove when my wife and I are on the trail. However, we mainly utilize freezer bag meals (thanks Sarbar) so in essence, we are just boiling water. Works fine for that.

[Feral Bill]

I have not gone alcoholic, but I gather that real cooking for two is not a strength. There are other options besides the Whisperlite. For a few more ounces you can have the classic SVEA and boil, simmer, and fry. It is spectacularly reliable, with many out there 30 years old or more. You can also cook for 4 if you care to.

My seriously biased opinon.

[Passionphish]

IanJoe59,

There is a third option that isn't mentioned too often but merits some thought.
The last time I was on the AT I ran across a couple that were not using a stove at all. The two of them packed and carried cookless food.
The things of interest I noticed were these:
-Eat

[Passionphish]

Umm... Not sure what happened there.

Points of interest:
-eat when ever you want
-No stove weight, or fuel weight for that matter
-No gadgets to tinker with or fail on you
-Waste is about the same if not a little less
-No chance of a burn two days out
-No need for water more than drinking...

The down sides?
-No hot meals
-the food is heavier (Not sure how much heavier)
-You have to worry a little more about food keeping.

That's it!

[10-K]

Out of the 3 fuels I've tried so far (esbit, alcohol and canister) I have to say that I'm sold on canister stoves. I'll carry 2-3 esbit tabs with me as a backup but that's it. I actually like esbit much better than alcohol. Alcohol and me just don't get along. It can be messy, I either pour too much and have some left over to spill trying to get it back in the bottle or not enough and have to relight my stove, etc. It's just a lot easier to screw a canister of gas on a 3 oz stove, hit the ignition, and have boiling water in ~4 minutes.

I've never used gas but when I hiked the Smokies this year a few people had them at the shelters and they were boiling water before I could even get my Caldera Cone put together. Plus I think they raised the temperature in the shelter a few degrees. From what I understand, in freezing temperatures gas is the ticket.

[mrc237]

I cooked for two using alcohol and we used alot of fuel (2 meals a day). This was in 2000 alcohol stoves were not as efficent as they are now. I ditched the alcohol at Fontana and switched to gas which worked better for us. I now mostly solo hike and use a Jetboil canister which is great for one and would most likely be fine for two. I think when two hikers share gear carrying extra fuel should not be a problem but getting meals cooked quickly can be and canister stoves are quicker. If I were hiking with a partner I'd use a Jetboil and have a 2 liter pot and extra fuel.

[Peaks]

Well, when I'm hiking solo, I use a pepsi can stove (alcohol), but when it's two of us, the alcohol stove doesn't seem to put out enough heat, so cooking can take longer. Thus, I use a whisperlite. But, if I were to replace it, it would probably be with a simmerlite.

[take-a-knee]

I cooked for two using alcohol and we used alot of fuel (2 meals a day). This was in 2000 alcohol stoves were not as efficent as they are now. I ditched the alcohol at Fontana and switched to gas which worked better for us. I now mostly solo hike and use a Jetboil canister which is great for one and would most likely be fine for two. I think when two hikers share gear carrying extra fuel should not be a problem but getting meals cooked quickly can be and canister stoves are quicker. If I were hiking with a partner I'd use a Jetboil and have a 2 liter pot and extra fuel.

An MSR Wind Pro is lighter than a Jetboil and, if you use the windscreen, likely to be just as effecient. Not to mention cheaper to boot.

[Lilred]

Here's a solution to your problem. both of you carry your own kitchen. The stoves are free to make, and you each carry a smaller pot and your own food and alcohol. Make a couple of cozies for your pots ( i used the silver reflection thingy you put in your windshield, cost $1) and check into freezer bag cooking. This way, if the two of you should get separated, one of you won't be left without a way to eat.

I was hiking with some folks, 3, recently that were starting a thru hike, and were separated only by several hours. However, one person had the water filter, while the other two had no way of getting water, and it was a fairly warm day.

I'm a huge fan of each person carrying their own gear, except for maybe the tent. If my husband were to hike with me, we'd each have our own everything, especially tent and kitchen and water filter. (he snores, BADLY, lol)

The person that posted alcohol stove burns for 15 minutes.... well, mine has never burned that long. I don't know where that information comes from. I have never witnessed anyones alcohol stove with that long of a burn time. mine usually burns for around 5 to 7 minutes on an ounce or so of fuel. Unless they filled their stove to the top with alcohol, then they are wasting a bunch of fuel.

An alcohol stove must have a windscreen at all times, even the very slightest wind will waste your fuel. I simply carry one made from extra heavy duty aluminum foil, and I carry a backup, since it weighs next to nothing and can be folded down to a flat sheet.


any camping section in a store carries a white, plastic, 16 oz, concave flask that has a twist on cap and a silver 1oz jigger on top. Makes a great way for measuring your alcohol. 3/4 oz will bring 2 cups of water to a boil for me perfectly, so I have no wasted fuel, unless the water is ice cold, then it takes a little more. (1 1/4 oz) I've had alcohol inside my flask now for three years with no leakage. Cost about 3 bucks.

I would not recommend an alky stove where the pot sits right on the stove. Those are very unstable and I have seen them tip over on people. You can build a pot stand using hardware cloth from any hardware store. Very easy, lightweight, cheap.

I use a grease pot from Walmart. They may be hard to find now. Cost $8.

My entire kitchen, with fuel, cost me under $15 dollars. Cheap and easy to make, both of you can have your own. I, also, carry a couple of Esbit tabs, just in case for backup.

Hope this helps